is there a comfortable way of sitting?...

[gayle]

all of a sudden my ribs by my shoulder blade hurts when i sit a certain way or try to breath in deep.does that mean my ribs are twisting even more?i know if i were to sit or walk really tight and straight instead of relaxed it helps but i cant do that without feeling stiff.anyone have or had this experience? everyday i find new complaints.

[Theresa]

Trudy,

That was one of my main complaints when I first went to see my doctor about my scoliosis. I had asked if it was the ribs that I felt poking my lungs and he had said yes it probably was. I also understand what you mean about walking up tight and tall. It would help, but as soon as you relaxed a little bit, there the poking was again. I DO NOT have that problem anymore since my surgeries.

[SandySo]

Theresa,

How do you sit comfortably after having the surgery? I've had my surgery about a month ago, and I'm having problems trying to figure out how I can sit comfortably while minimizing the discomfort around my lower spine (where all the pressure seems to be going). I have to return to work shortly, and I'm not at ease knowing that I'll be sitting in front of a computer for 8 hours straight a day...

Any advice?

[dawney]

I had problems sitting for any length of time after surgery. I had to lay on my side or stand. I am at 4 months now and I can sit comfortably for periods of time. After sitting about an hour I tend to get stiff but if I get up and move around for a bit I can go back to sitting comfortably.

[SandySo]

So getting up and moving around when your stiff is a good idea? I'll keep that in mind when I return to the office...

I'm so used to laying in bed at any moment of discomfort. I wish my company would place a bed in the office, but that'd be asking too much, eh?

Thanks!

[Shari]

Hi Sandy,

I have to agree with Dawn, that alternating sitting and standing does help. And I have to agree with you that being able to lay down on occasion would be wonderful, but it just doesn't seem possible.

If you have to return to work, while you're still have pain, I have a small pillow that I put in my computer chair that helps me a lot. And standing occasionally helps too.

I personally have not returned to my profession, because I was required to be on my feet for 10 to 12 hours a day, but I also know that sitting can be difficult for any lenght of time right after surgery. I loved my pillows!!!

Shari

[Joan50]

Accomodations at work

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act does allow for "reasonable accommodations" to be made for employees with disabilities. It does not hurt to ask for things you need or allowance for rest periods or breaks.

I have been going back to work this week a couple of times. On breaks I went down to my car (mini van) and leaned the captain chair seat way back to rest. Once I laid down on my side in the back seat. Fifteen minutes of that was helpful and I felt refreshed and went back to work. Still, I haven't done an 8 hour day. Just commuting and half day is all I have managed.

Joan

[JanM]

Accomodations at work

I asked for a place to lie down at my office, and they let me put a fold-up mattress in my cubicle and a curtain in front of the cubicle. So if my pain gets really bad, I can pull the curtain shut and lay down for a couple minutes. (I have a lumbar curve that makes it hard to sit for a long period of time, but I don't need to use this very often.) I'm pre-surgery, and I'm pretty sure a mattress on the ground would not be a good option for post-surgery patients, but I think it probably should be possible under the ADA to ask for something that would work.

[Theresa]

Sandy,

At first it was very difficult to sit for any length of time anywhere. I usually ended up laying in the recliner or laying in bed. It slowly got to where it was more tolerable for longer amounts of time. To this day, I still sit at the kitchen table with one of the pillows that I brought home from the hospital. Our kitchen chairs are upholstered but for some reason it's just more comfortable sitting on one of the pillows. At my desk at home and at work I use a "squishy" roll pillow for the hollow of my back. At work they bought me a foot rest to use when I am sitting at the desk, it takes alot of the pulling off of the back from your legs hanging down. I also use a pillow to sit on in the car if the ride is going to be over an hour. I can now sit for a good amount of time without hurting. When I get up though, I am very sore and stiff (even though I felt fine sitting). In the earlier days of my recovery I did alternate sitting, walking, and standing as much as I could. I also took a few breaks on really bad news and I would lay down on a couch that we had at work or in the nurse's clinic (I work in an elementary school). Now at 2 years and 9 months from my original surgery it is much easier for me to sit than to walk or stand. Hopefully after June 4th, I will be better at doing the walking and standing. I will be having another osteotomy done at the L2 level and bringing my fusion down lower on the sacrum.